Filler fixture



Patented Oct. 24, 1944 UNITED STABS AEN 3 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to filler fixtures generally, and particularly to fixtures to aid in=charg ing explosive components.

It is the object of this invention to provide a filler xture which permits safe and quick charging or filling of a component with the necessary quantity of explosive. To this end, a funnel is secured to a support which has projections on it for orienting and locating the funnel with respect to the filler opening of a container to be filled.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 of the drawing is a center longitudinal section of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, a support 2 is shown having an opening 4. A filler nozzle such a funnel 6 is secured to the support and communicates with hole 4.

The invention is adapted particularly to the filling or charging of rie grenades such as the one shown at 8. The grenade has a bullet tube I0, a fuse hole I2 and a filler hole I4. The filler fixture is provided with projections I 6 andv I8 for engagement with tube ID and hole I2 respectively. 'I'he projections are so disposed that when they are engaged as shown, the whole fixture will be so oriented as to align hole 4 and the funnel with hole I4. The explosive charge can then be poured into the funnel and thus be loaded into the grenade. An important feature of the fixture is the fact that there is no funnel spout extending into the charge space of the grenade. Such a spout is always a hazard in that the friction incidental to its withdrawal might ignite the charge. Furthermore, the absence of a depending spout makes it easy to employ a ram such as a dowel stick where, as in the case of dry T. N. T., it is necessary to use a tool to force the charge through the opening. In addition, removal of the funnel spout increases the discharge opening, or exit area, of the funnel about 50%, materially speeding up the filling operation. To this end, the diameter of hole 4 on the discharge side of the plate is preferably equal to the root diameter of the thread in filler opening I4, and the sides of tapered hole 4 preferably include an angle of 60.

The parts 2, 6, I 6 and I8 will preferably be of a non-sparking metal, such as copper o;- alloys.

I claim:

l. A loading xt-ure for a vessel having a flush top surface provided with three apertures, one of which is a filling hole and the other two are non-filling apertures, comprising a support adapted to rest on the said top surface of the vessel and provided with an aperture in its undersurface equal in diameter to the said filling hole, a funnel on the support leading to the said aperture therein, and a pair of projections depending from the undersurface of the support and extending substantially below the underside of the support and disposed in the same positional relationship to the said funnel aperture as the said two non-filling apertures of the vessel are positionally related to the said filling hole of the vessel, the said pair of projections being of thickness to be snugly received in the said two nonflling apertures of the vessel, to bring the said filling hole of the Vessel in coincidence with the said funnel aperture of the fixture.

2. A loading fixture for a vessel having a flush top surface provided with three apertures, one

of which is a filling hole and the other two are Y non-filling apertures, comprising a support adapted to rest on the said top surface of the vessel and provided with an aperture in its undersurface, a funnel on the support leading to the said aperture therein, and a pair of projections depending from the undersurface of the support and extending substantially below the underside of the support and disposed in the same positional relationship to the said funnel aperture as the said two non-filling apertures of the vessel are positionally related to the said filling hole of the vessel, the said pair of projections being of thickness to be snugly received in the said two non-filling apertures of the vessel, to bring the said filling hole of the vessel in coincidence with the said funnel aperture of the fixture.

3. A loading fixture for a vessel providedl with three apertures, one of which is a filling hole and the other two are non-filling apertures, comprising a support provided with an aperture in its undersurface equal in diameter to the said lling hole, and a pair of projections depending from the undersurface of the support and extending substantially below the underside of the support and disposed in the same positional relationship to the said filling aperture as the said two nonfilling apertures of the vessel are positionally .related to the said filling hole of the vessel, the said pair of projections being of thickness to be snugly received in the said two non-filling apertures of the vessel, to bring the said filling hole of the vessel in coincidence with the said filling aperture of the fixture.

FLOYD S. VAN NESS. 

